Chuck Norris Death Post

 

Being born in July 1984 and even though I’m into the artistic side of filmmaking (everything from the 1998 original AFI list backwards), I’ve always had an affinity for martial arts and martial arts movies from the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties. No one does movies anymore because all the guys that would’ve went into movies are now in MMA/UFC. Mr. Norris was 1 of the many people in the martial arts whose movies I watched. Thank you for the memories, sir. May you be at peace. And my deepest condolences to your family, friends, and significant others.

 ...Chuck Norris didn't die! He just left to give the Grim Reaper a beat down!

...If you see your deceased friends and family start walking around and acting as if they woke up from the longest "nap" EVER. You'll know who won! Apparently, Jesus needed an enforcer/bodyguard.

…And always remember, the sun doesn’t rise or set. The night and shadows just run away from Chuck Norris in the morning.

Jason David Frank Death Post

Despite having cerebral palsy since the age of 5 months old, I’ve always been into martial arts. It started at age 9, with Bruce Lee, and then yourself as Tommy in 1993. My current 38-year-old self was comparing prices on the classic 1994 Dragon dagger this morning. I stopped watching Power Rangers after the 1st 88 episodes when the original cast was no more. But I always go back to you 2 individuals as the starting point for my love of martial history. Thank you! I’m sorry that you were in pain. And I never got to thank you personally. #RIPJDF

Who is BA?

So, hello today fine people. I thought I’d do a follow-up to video 0. The intro to my video blog. Which is my YouTube page. BA Brad Freeman. And kind of do a video version of an article on my written blog The BA Freeman Experience. Basically entitled, “Who is BA?”
 
Well, I’m 38 years old. I was born July of 1984. At 5 months old, I developed cerebral palsy. I stop breathing. Had to be resuscitated like the rockstar I am. The fact that I listen to old school sixties, seventies, eighties, and early nineties hard rock, punk rock, and heavy metal. My mom says kind of fits me. It’s really my own thing. Um--. She’s more into disco, Linda Ronstadt, the Bee Gees. God I’ve had to memorize Saturday Night Fever and Grease backwards. Trust me. Just take my word for it people.
 
Um, I’ve already been through uh elementary school, middle school, high school, college. I graduated in the top 1% in high school. The top 5% in college academically. That’s always been my thing. I’m ultra-smart, but I have cerebral palsy. So therefore, being I don’t walk under my own power. It’s always been this extreme. I don’t consider it as extreme as it could be, but it’s pretty extreme. Not walking under your own power, and needing help with certain basic needs. But I’m not a vegetable and am definitely not mentally or emotionally saddled with problems. So, it doesn’t bother me too much. But getting a normal job’s kind of a difficult thing.
 
Um, I’ve followed football since I was 6 years old. Uh… High school, college, pro. I followed the other 4 major sports as well. But not as closely as football. I also am into boxing, and MMA. Um… I follow that as well. But again, not as closely as --um football. But… I am still into that stuff despite the cerebral palsy.
 
Um, I’m a history whiz as I said in my intro. Um-- martial arts, military strategy, tactics –um-- are my areas of expertise. I don’t really talk about it too much. Cause I don’t want to make myself into a weapon, or a target. I’m already a guy with cerebral palsy and in the event, I need to use it, I’ve learned to adapt certain skills I’ve read about in all the classics. In the event, I need to use them. But I don’t talk about it too much BECAUSE guys like that make themselves targets and then they’re always asking for trouble.
 
Um, when I was in college in August 2003… Graduated University of Missouri-Columbia. And then when I graduated in May 2009 cause things took me an extra year and ½ cause of my cerebral palsy… I studied theater as my major, emphasis in playwriting. Uh-- minor in film. Minor in history. As I said, my area of expertise is martial arts, strategy, tactics, um-- survival skills. That kind of thing. I like old school heavy metal as I said. Um--. Hard rock. Punk rock. My favorite band is Metallica. The metal version (1981-to 1994). Kill’em All is my favorite full-length studio release. Seek and Destroy. Track number 9 is my favorite song. Megadeth is my parent band as far as-- Megadeth and Metallica are my parent bands as far as –um-- my musical tastes. And I’ve also tried to write songs in the past. So, eventually I hope to release a lot of the stuff that I’m currently working on. I do a lot of stuff from home like people did during COVID in 2020. I laughed a little bit cause everyone was freaking out. And I’m like… This is how I have to live people cause I’m not able to walk under my own power.
 
--Um--. What else? I’ve also… As I’ve said in the past, wrote a bunch of college/NFL coaches to get my name out there in football circles. Um--. Wrote a bunch of plays. Put them on the –um-- New Play Exchange website. But again, getting a normal job is kind of difficult because I don’t walk under my own power. And I have a personal care assistant who helps me with every day basic needs. I do everything that everybody else does. Just highly modified. It’s a very strange variation. I’m not the vegetable you see in the movies. So, people don’t know what to do with me. And, I do things from home to keep myself busy.
 
Um--. I also have motivational speaking aspirations. Um--. I will keep on political –um-- views to myself, even though I have an 80-page political platform for when I want to run for president.
 
And basically, I just do whatever interest me. All those books behind me.
I’ve read portions of them to all of them. Um--. I have some memorized. I have yet to read major-league into other ones. I can tell you what they’re about. I know enough of that. But um--. Yeah. I’m just your average guy who happens to have cerebral palsy.
 
So, yes. And basically, my variation. How it works is… I’m not able to walk under my own power as I’ve said. I need help with basic needs. I’m not a total vegetable. But… Being, I don’t walk under my own power, things that everyone else does every day, they take for granted and I need help with that. –Um--. It depends on the level of physicality. I can handwrite. I can type. –Um. I can speak obviously. Some people with extreme versions of it. Their muscle tone is so great that they are not able to speak. My higher brain function and my emotions are completely intact. It’s just I’m not able to walk under my own power. 

Basically, as I’ve explained it to people over the years. It’s almost like –um-- being trapped in your own body. My higher brain function knows what to do and I can explain it to somebody else. But my body goes, dude we haven’t been able to do that since the mid-eighties, so good on you for trying, but you know we haven’t been able to do that.
 
And as far as a cure, cause I get asked that, all the time. Yeah, it would make things easier. And people probably would take me –um- serious. More serious as a person, if I didn’t have cerebral palsy. But… You know, the only thing it’s really gonna do… And this is my own life experience talking… This is nothing that any family, friend, or –um-- colleague. Or any relationships I’ve had —girlfriends-- have said. This is just Brad’s own life experience. Not even my own mother’s words. Um--. Not having it almost would make me seem ungrateful. I take--. I’m a lot more grateful when it comes to certain stuff. And, not having it almost would make me kind of boring and un-unique. And I’ve never been the type that felt sorry for themselves. And I was never the woe is me. I was always the guy that went “Yeah. I can do it. I’ll figure it out. I’ll use my higher brain function, and learn to adapt.” Instead of going, “Oh! I’m a poor crippled boy. I can’t do anything!” How is that going to help me? Tell me people. Because I was told a long time ago by a lot of people, especially in college. I did not enjoy my college experience. That I was in denial. So, how’s that going to help me? I never thought it would.

So, BAs into a lot of different things. And I’m sorry I’m rambling. So, if I missed something. Please feel free to ask. Thank you. Bye-bye. 

Brad Freeman's Favorite Martial Artists If I Ever Got in a Fight

Since I’m also into martial arts, self-defense, and combat sports on top of your regular 5 major sports, if I was ever in a life threatening situation where self-defense was required, here are the people I would take with me to watch my back during a fight.

1. Bruce Lee (Wing Chun Kung Fu/Jeet Kune Do)

2. Muhammad Ali (speed stance Western Boxing)

3. Royce Gracie (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

4. Dan Severn (Judo/Sambo/Greco-Roman Wrestling)

5. Chuck Norris (Karate/Judo/Taekwondo/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

6. Ken Shamrock (Shoot Fighting)

*Bruce Lee, while not only being great on-screen, developed a fighting system for self-defense as well. Not to mention, he’s my favorite action/martial arts actor. Ali is my favorite boxer, by the way.

*Back in the nineties, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship was truly full contact, no holds barred except eye gouging, biting, and shots to the groin via a gentlemen’s agreement. The fights pitted 2 combatants of totally different styles, in tournament format, to answer the age-old question, which style is best. Royce Gracie/Dan Severn/Ken Shamrock’s matches against each other during the 1^st 5 to 10 events were utterly legendary in the martial arts community. Not going to lie, I go back and watch those fights periodically.

Now, as of January 2001 when Dana White took over, UFC is way different. It’s more cleaned up. Fighters mix different styles together to cancel out each singular art’s weaknesses. And mix them together for the strengths of each art for a given situation. Hence, the term mixed martial arts coming into a regular part of American vernacular. Also, it now has rounds, weight classes, and championship belts for each weight class, much like boxing, and more extensive rules centered around grappling, for the safety of the fighters, so the sport could more easily get sanctioning by the state athletic commissions.